The Word of God
(BCP p. 355)
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Amen.
Celebrant Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hears by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn of Praise
(BCP p.356)
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you
Celebrant Let us pray.
O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of Exodus 34:29-35
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God
Psalm 99
1 The Lord is King; let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
2 The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.
3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.
4 “O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”
5 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
8 “O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.”
9 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
A Reading from the Second Letter of Peter 1:13-21
I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, 14since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” 18We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Celebrant The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke 9:28-36
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon
Jesus Transfigured
Jesus took with Him three of His disciples – Peter, James and John – to pray on the mountain. This mountain is visible still today from Jericho City. It was named Mount of Transfiguration because Jesus was transfigured there.
This was probably not the first time these disciples went with Jesus to a mountain to pray.
Can you imagine what it must have felt like to climb the mountain? All you’ve got to do is to trust in God and follow Christ faithfully. Like the song says, “Where He leads me, I will follow;” and I believe that Jesus will never mislead us. Amen.
As they were praying Jesus was Transfigured. His clothes became dazzling white!
Not only this, but something else happened. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus as He prayed. Doesn’t God work in mysterious ways?
Influential people in the land who have been long dead, now appeared with Jesus! I don’t know about you; that must have been something to behold! Peter had probably heard or read in the Torah about Moses and probably heard stories about the great prophet Elijah too.
As Jesus was praying, and as He was transfigured, the three disciples who Jesus took with Him to this mountain were sleeping. Many Christians today continue to sleep as things are happening around them.
When they finally awoke and saw Jesus, Moses, and Elijah they were surprised and amazed. That must have been the best day of their lives. They probably would not have been able to contain themselves.
This reminds me of when Bunmi and I and our children had dinner with Rosa Parks! or when President Clinton and I knelt side by side to receive Holy Communion at the National Cathedral.
I shared those two stories to enable all of us to remember our own mountain top experiences.
This Gospel reminds us that when we are praying, we’ve got to be alert. Every time we gather in Church, Christ continues to reveal Himself anew! Every time we gather to receive Holy Communion something mysterious about Christ’s love is happening. Amen! Stay awake my brothers! Stay awake my sisters! Christ is not done surprising us yet!
So, stay awake so you can enjoy what God is revealing to us. This is what following Christ is all about. It is about the mystery of Jesus which God is revealing to us.
This Gospel reminds us that it is time to wake up to behold what God is doing around us and among us.Thank God Jesus disciples finally woke up. Wow! When they saw what was happening, they probably said, “Where are these two from?” When they saw Moses and Elijah, the only person who reacted loudly in an extroverted way was Peter.
When Peter saw Jesus transfigured along with Moses and Elijah; He could not contain himself. Peter reminds me of me. I’ve always got to put in my two cents about what’s going on around me. All the extroverts please say Amen.
Why did I say that? Rather than observing what was going on or thanking God for the opportunity to witness the mysterious revelation of Jesus, he said and I quote: “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us build three booths one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah [KJV]. As if God wanted Peter to be quiet; a voice came from heaven and said, “This is my Son, my Chosen. Listen to Him.” Wow! God is saying that about you and me as well. That God is well pleased with us too. No matter what others may say about us, God is pleased with us saying that each of us is beloved in God’s sight.
As if the Transfiguration was not enough, Moses and Elijah disappeared and only Jesus was left. Wow!!
What if any of us were with Jesus on that Mountain, I wonder how that would have made us feel and what it would have meant for us? That God affirmed the sonship of Jesus that means Christ is believable! This affirms that Jesus Christ is intricately connected to God as God’s Son. Thank God Jesus did not listen to Peter.
What can we make of this Gospel? The appearance of Moses and Elijah confirmed not only the connection between Jesus and God, it also shows Jesus’ power, honor and glory. It revealed Jesus’ identity as someone divinely connected with important people in the Hebrew testament. This disciple must have also been fulfilled for having this opportunity to witness Christ Transfigured.
This Gospel reminds us to identify our own mountain where we could be with Christ and pray. It may be your room, it may be the dining area, every time you are in this Mountain of yours you believe you are one on one with Jesus.
We are also called to proclaim the greatness of our Lord Jesus and let the world know that he is the chosen Son of God; and that we all are to listen to Him. We are also called to share our experience of the mountaintop with people at work at home and even in the Church!
Sharing our mountaintop experiences may make others pray more or draw closer to Jesus. We just never know that they too may have a divine or mysterious revelation about Christ. What a joy that is.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Nicene Creed
(BCP p. 358)
We believe in one God
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate
from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is
worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers of the People
In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we pray for the new Province de L’Eglise Anglicane au Rwanda.
In the Diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for All Saints Episcopal-Lutheran Church in Washington Court House, St. John’s in Cambridge, and St. Patrick’s in Lebanon..
In our Parish cycle of prayer, we pray for Lilian Levy and Sebastian and Nathaniel Escarpe; Juanita Limes; and Don and Carol Nancarrow.
Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those on our Parish Prayer List (N),
and for all who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Give to the departed eternal rest;
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions.
Celebrant God of glory, you gave the vision of your Son to those who watched on the mountain; grant that by our glimpses of him we may be changed into his glorious likeness. Amen.
(from A New Zealand Prayer Book, pages 566)
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Blessing
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
St. Mark’s Vestry
Senior Warden: Gary Welch
Junior Warden: Katherine Wagner
Treasurer: Don Nancarrow
Secretary: Dave Reuter
Vestry Members:
Carol Nancarrow, Tracey Swartz
Jen Bonifas, Susan Kendall
Kendall Rubino, Jenna Walch
St. Mark’s Staff
Transitional Priest in Charge The Rev. Dr. John Agbaje
Parish Administrator Katherine Wagner
Music Director Donna Larsen
Sexton Douglas Plummer
Look for us…
On the web: www.StMarksDayton.org
Facebook: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio
Instagram: stmarksdayton
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